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To meet the demand for a sailplane with flaps for the Unrestricted Class 15m International competitions the DG-200 was developed from the Standard Class DG-100 series using the same fuselage and tail, but with flaps and a reduced wing area.

The prototype made its first flight on 22 April 1977. This has the same 15m span wing with glassfibre flaps added, the Schempp-Hirth air brakes being retained; wing area was slightly reduced, and the water ballast capacity was increased to 287lb. The tailplane is a glassfibre/foam sandwich, with an all-glassfibre elevator, and the ailerons are also of glassfibre; construction is otherwise the same as the DG-100.

The DG-200/17 is a 17m span version of the DG-200 created by adding special insertable wing tips to the DG-200. The DG-200 Acroracer is an aerobatic version of the DG-200 with detachable wing tips that reduce the span to 13.1m (42 ft 11.25 in); these can be replaced to bring the span up to 15m.

The prototype Acroracer first flew on 28 November 1978, but was the only one of this variant built. The DG200 Acroracer’s wingtips are removable to convert the aircraft from a 15m sailplane to a 13.3m, fully aerobatic glider.

The DG-200C is similar to the DG-200 but has carbon-fibre spar booms, wing skin and flaps. The DG-200/17C is the same as the DG-200/17 but has the DG-200C's carbon-fibre wing structure.

A total of 20 DG-200s had been delivered by early 1978. Altogether 89 DG-200s had been built by April 1980.

After more than 100 DG-200’s had been produced the improved DG-202 was introduced. The 15m span DG-202, which first flew in prototype form on 30 April 1980, is very similar to the DG-200 but has an improved cockpit and controls, modified airfoil, a large one-piece forward-opening canopy, automatic tailplane connection and an improved water ballast system.

DG subsequently produced add-on wing tips for the DG-202 (known as the DG-202/17) increasing the span to 17m.

The DG-202/17 has detachable wing tips to bring the span up to 17m and the DG-202/17C has carbon-fibre in the wing structure and a carbon-fibre spar.